Without even mentioning the obvious- the three World Series Championships the Boston Red Sox won in the years of 2004, 2007 and 2013, it is safe to say that they have been one of the more consistent teams in baseball during recent time. Of course, until the first WS in 2004, the team played second fiddle to the rival Yankees, who were on an impressive run of their own. The Red Sox managed to win 85 or more games every year from 1998-2011, something only surpassed in baseball during that time by the Yankees (18 years, from 1996-2013). The firing of manager Terry Francona led to the hiring of Bobby Valentine and with it came the worst season the Red Sox had since they went 62-100 in 1965 under manager Billy Herman. The 2012 Red Sox went 69-93, fired Valentine, and replaced him with John Farrell. Farrell led the Red Sox to a 97-75 record and a World Series Championship. 2014 was the complete opposite, with the team going 71-91. The 2014 trading deadline was centered around how many Boston starting pitchers were going to be traded. It started with Jake Peavy, then continued with John Lackey and finally, Jon Lester was on his way to Oakland. The Red Sox got Yoenis Cespedes for Lester, then traded LHP Andrew Miller to Baltimore for a top Orioles pitching prospect. Similar to the 2013 Red Sox team, the foundation for the 2015 squad was put together during a lost previous season. With the Red Sox set to finish in last place for the 2nd time in three seasons, they were putting together their team for 2015. They signed OF Rusney Castillo late in the season and came into the off season ready to make some noise. The signings of 3B Pablo Sandoval (.279, 16, 73- .429 avg in 2014 WS) and former infielder Hanley Ramirez (.283, 13, 71) to big contracts certainly gave the team a new look. The signings also have created a log jam of OFs with Castillo, Ramirez and Shane Victorino (.268, 2, 12 in just 30 games) likely to start the season in the OF. OFs Mookie Betts (.291, 5, 18), Allen Craig (.215, 8, 46), Daniel Nava (.270, 5, 37), Jackie Bradley (.198, 1, 30) and Brock Holt (.281, 4, 29) are all looking for playing time that is hard to find assuming the rest of the lineup is healthy. Great depth, but certainly too many players and too much talent to stash away on a bench. Holt can play anywhere and Betts can play 2B- if he isn't the team's starting CF but that leaves Craig and Nava with little time to play and Bradley likely ticketed to Pawtucket. The Red Sox attempted to rebuild a pitching staff which was to return only one of its five starters from the beginning of 2014 (Felix Doubront was traded to the Cubs). The Red Sox dealt Cespedes to the Detroit Tigers for RHP Rick Porcello (15-13, 3.43, 31 starts), then traded for LHP Wade Miley (8-12, 4.34, 33 starts), giving up Rubby De La Rosa (a guest on the Passed Ball Show) and Allen Webster, who combined to make 29 starts for the Red Sox last season. They then traded Freehold's own Anthony Ranaudo to the Rangers for LHP Robbie Ross (3-6, 6.20, 27 games, 12 starts). They picked up RHP Joe Kelly (6-4, 4.20, 17 starts) last season in the Lackey/ Craig deal. Clay Buchholz (8-11, 5.34, 28 starts), along with Kelly, is the only returning starting Boston pitcher. Thoughts are that RHP Justin Masterson (7-9, 5.88, 25 starts) is finally healthy and is ready to return to form. If that is the case, it may make for one of the shrewdest signings in the most recent off season. I would start the season with Porcello, then go Miley, Kelly, Buchholz and Masterson. This way it takes some early pressure off the two pitchers returning from injury. In spite of the loss of Miller, the Red Sox still return a decent to very good bullpen. Closer Koji Uehara (6-5, 2.52, 26 saves, 80 Ks, just over 64 IP) abd RHP Junichi Tazawa (4-3, 2.86, 71 games) lead the charge with some uncertainties behind them. These uncertainties, LHP Breslow (2-4, 5.96, 60 games) and RHP Edwin Mujica (2-4, 3.90, 64 games) have track records of pitching well but had bad 2014 seasons. The additions of Ross and RHPs Anthony Varvaro (3-3, 2.63, 61 games) and Alexi Ogando (2-3, 6.84, 27 games) give some support in case Breslow or Mujica struggle. Don't forget about NRIs Dana Eveland and Mitchell Boggs, both of whom can make this bullpen. Brandon Workman, Stephen Wright and Matt Barnes are also in the mix for front of the bullpen and spot starter roles. The Red Sox offense should be able to score runs, assuming Farrell pushes the right buttons. The knowns are that DH David Ortiz (.263, 35, 104), 2B Dustin Pedroia (.278, 7, 53), SS Xander Bogaerts (.240, 12, 46), Sandoval and Ramirez will be in the starting lineup opening day, assuming they are healthy. Mike Napoli (.248, 17, 55) is the likely starting 1B, but guys like Craig and Nava have to be monitored if they happen to be hitting. CF looks like it will be a competition between the Cuban born Castillo and Betts, with the loser getting time as the 4th OF. Then there is Victorino, injured last season, but in seemingly good shape. He is expected to be the starter in RF, but he will have to produce if he wants to stay in the lineup. The Red Sox do not want to have the wrong player sitting on the bench, which is why I would be in favor of a trade, or two, involving a Nava or Craig. Christian Vazquez (.240, 1, 20) is the starting C with Ryan Hanigan (.218, 5, 34) the backup. The Red Sox top prospects are LHPs Henry Owens (17-5, 2.94, 170 Ks in 159 IP) and Eduardo Rodriguez (6-8, 3.60, 22 starts). Rodriguez was acquired from Baltimore in the Miller trade. C Blake Swihart (.293, 13, 64) seems like he will be the Red Sox catcher of the future. Garin Cecchini, Gavin's brother, has a good chance to help out at the MLB level if a trade or two is made, like I suggested earlier. Also look for Barnes to get a chance to start if any of the pitchers struggle this season. The Red Sox are due for a bounce back this season. But, similar to what I said about the San Diego Padres, the key will be the clubhouse chemistry. The change in the amount of players from last season in Boston is not as evident as it is in San Diego but there are a lot of new faces that were not there last year with many of whom never playing together before. Vegas has the Red Sox at 86 1/2 for the O/U and lets be honest, the AL East is as weak as it has been in many seasons. I look at the Red Sox as the favorite, winning this division with an 88-74 record.

If the question is posed, "Who has been the most consistent team in the National League over the past five seasons?"- the answer may seem obvious. The San Francisco Giants have won 3 World Series Championships during that time frame and are considered the most dominant team. However, the Giants missed the postseason in 2011 and finished 10 games under .500 in 2013. The St Louis Cardinals missed the postseason in 2010, finishing with an 86-76 record, the same record the Giants finished with when they missed the postseason in 2011. The Cardinals won the World Series in 2011 and made it to the postseason each of the following three seasons. They returned to the World Series in 2013, losing to the Boston Red Sox in 6 games. Though the Giants have won more World Series during this time frame and are the most dominant team in all of baseball because of it, the Cardinals are the most consistent team in the NL during the past five seasons. The Detroit Tigers (missed the playoffs in 2010, but have made it each of the past four seasons) are the most consistent team in the AL. The 2014 St Louis Cardinals were considered the team to beat in the NL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers got off to a great start and gave them everything they could handle before fading away during the second half of the season. The Cardinals won the NL Central with a record of 90-72, holding off the second place Pittsburgh Pirates by two games. Though the Cardinals off season was relatively quiet, it was significant. The team added RF Jason Heyward (.271, 11, 58, 20 SB) from the Braves in exchange for RHP Shelby Miller (10-9, 3.74, 31 starts). And the truth is, the Cardinals return an all around quality team that can compete with anybody. So the question begs, why don't I think the Cardinals are the team to beat in the NL Central in 2015? One of the things that has helped carry the Cardinals into the postseason each of the past four seasons is their strong, deep starting pitching. Having Adam Wainwright (20-9, 2.38, 32 starts) gives the team an ace few other teams have. Lance Lynn (15-10, 2.74, 33 starts) had a season last year that may give the Cardinals the sense he can be a top of the rotation starter. John Lackey (14-10, 3.82, 31 starts for Red Sox and Cardinals) is the number three starter with Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.20, 19 starts) coming back from an injury riddled 2014. For the first time in years, the Cardinals do not have a legit number 5 starter. That doesn't mean the Cardinals 5 starter will be bad though. Hope is that flame throwing RHP Carlos Martinez (2-4, 4.03, 57 games, 7 starts) takes the opportunity and becomes a solid starting pitcher. The verdict from his 7 2014 starts was mixed as he showed signs of dominance but his stamina was questioned. That could be because he was not stretched out enough. Knowing all off season that he was going to be a starting pitcher will answer that question. If Martinez is not the answer, the Cardinals will go with oft injured Jaime Garcia (36 starts over the past three seasons after back to back 13 win seasons) or 22 year old LHP Marco Gonzales (4-2, 4.15, 10 games, 5 starts). While I feel that Macha and Martinez can be great, there is no guarantee. I also think that while Lynn is a solid candidate to give you 200 innings each year, he is not a number two starter- more of a 3-4. Once again, if Wacha or Martinez steps up, that will allow Lynn to move back towards the middle to bottom where he is best suited. Though Heyward's bat will make the Cardinals a better offensive team, it did come at the expense of Miller. Trading Miller after dealing Joe Kelly last year and losing Justin Masterson to free agency drastically reduces the depth in the Cardinals rotation. Garcia should be healthy this year, which gives them one extra starter, but the Cardinals are used to having more flexibility. NRIs John Gast and Carlos Villenueva will probably not cut it. The trade of Miller also netted the Cards RHP Jordan Walden (0-2, 2.88, 58 games, 62 Ks, 50 IP) which gives the team a solid 8th inning option and also allows Martinez to slide into the rotation without consequence. Closer Trevor Rosenthal (2-6, 3.20, 45 saves, 72 games, 87 Ks, just over 70 IP) had a good first season in his role, but like most closers, showed some kinks at times. RHP Pat Neshek (7-2, 1.87, 71 games) left as a free agent to sign with Houston. RHP Matt Belisle (4-7, 4.87, 66 games for Colorado) was signed to replace him, but is coming off a down year himself. RHP Seth Maness (6-4, 2.91, 73 games) returns as does veteran LHP Randy Choate (2-2, 4.50, 61 games). LHP Kevin Siegrist is the classic tale of two seasons. In 2013, he was 3-1, 0.45 in 45 games, giving up just 2 runs and 17 hits in just over 39 innings. Last year, he was 1-4, 6.82 in 37 games, giving up 23 runs and 32 hits in just over 30 innings. Gonzales and Sam Freeman (2-0, 2.61, 44 games) will also vie for that second lefty role. Last spring training, the Cardinals best offensive player was Allen Craig. After emerging on the scene during the Cardinals postseason run of 2011 (.917 OPS), he had a big 2012 season replacing Albert Pujols (.307, 22, 92 in just 112 games). He followed that up with a .315, 13, 97 campaign in 134 games in 2013. His 2014 season was as baffling as any in major league baseball (.215, 8, 46, .596 OPS in 126 games). Perhaps it had to do with the decision to play him in RF to replace Carlos Beltran. Stranger things have happened, but the mystery of Allen Craig is one I may never figure out. Craig was traded to Boston with Kelly in the Lackey trade and is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the Red Sox starting lineup. Another Cardinals regular that had a big time drop in his numbers was 3B Matt Carpenter. Carpenter played 2B in 2013 and moved to 3B last season. In 2013, he hit .318, 11, 78 with 126 RS, 199 H and 55 2B- all of whom led the NL. Last year, he hit .272, 8, 59 with 162 hits and saw his OPS drop from .873 in 2013 to .750 last year in spite of leading the NL with 95 BB. LF Matt Holliday (.272, 20, 90) has been one of the best 7 year free agent contracts the game has ever seen. SS Jhonny Peralta (.263, 21, 75) and 1B Matt Adams (.288, 15, 68) will be part of the middle of the order and C Yadier Molina (.282, 7, 38) remains the best at his position in the game. 2B Kolten Wong (.249, 12, 42, 20 SB) and CF Jon Jay (.303, 3, 46) complete the projected Cardinals defensive allignment. I would use this lineup: Heyward RF, Molina C, Carpenter 3B, Holliday LF, Adams 1B, Peralta SS, Jay CF, Wong 2B. The Cardinals were blessed with one of the top prospects in all of MLB last season. Tragically, Oscar Tavaras was killed in an automobile accident in the Dominican Republic on October 26th of last year- at the time of game 5 of the World Series between the Giants and Royals. So terrible to see a young man taken at the age of 22. The Cardinals bench includes the likes of Peter Bourjos, Randal Grichuk, free agent signing Mark Reynolds and backup C Tony Cruz. Former Yankees infielder Dean Anna battling with Pete Kozma for the backup middle infielder position. Grichuk leads the Cardinals list of top prospects to look at this season. He hit 25 HR last season in the minors after going 5-43 in his first call up with the Cardinals from April 28 to June 11th. He came up August 26th and was 22-67 the rest of the regular season. His hot streak ended in the postseason as he was just 6-35. OF Stephen Piscotti should be up this season and pitchers Gonzales, Alexander Reyes and LHP Tim Cooney have decent arms. The most intriguing arm in the Cardinals organization is 2014 1st round draft pick Luke Weaver, who in spite of not getting 0s in his pro work last year may be on the fast track to the big leagues just like Wacha. However, I'd be surprised to see Weaver pitching in St Louis before 2016. In my opinion, Vegas was a little high on the Cardinals putting their O/U at 88 1/2. I'm sure that a lot of that had to do with their past success. The competition in the NL Central has gotten better and I have some serious questions about the depth of their starting rotation. Even with my concerns, I cannot see this team winning any less than 83 games. If Wacha is back and Martinez is the real deal, I will be proven wrong.

If you were previewing the Cleveland Indians of 2014, one of the things that would be mentioned was the amount of players (notably pitchers) that the team did not have returning. Starting pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Karmir left as free agents and so did relievers Chris Perez and Joe Smith. The Indians had confidence in their younger pitchers and it paid off in 2014. In fact, their younger pitchers, led by AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (18-9, 2.44, 3 CGs, SHO, 269 Ks) were so effective GM Chris Antonetti was able to deal number one starting pitcher Justin Masterson to the Cardinals. The 2013 Indians won 92 games and made it to the playoffs. The 2014 Indians were 85-77, finishing 3rd place in the AL Central after finishing 2nd a year earlier. What I thought was more impressive about the most recent team was the fact that they have a different identity. Kluber and fellow starting pitchers Trevor Bauer (5-8, 4.28, 26 starts), Danny Salazar (6-8, 4.25, 20 starts), Carlos Carrasco (8-7, 2.55, 40 games, 15 starts) and TJ House (5-3, 3.35, 18 starts) are a big strength for the team that wasn't quite seen a year before. Offensively, the 2013 Indians depended a lot on guys like Jason Giambi, Ryan Raburn, Mark Reynolds (before he was released) and Drew Stubbs. In 2014, they traded their starting SS Asdrubal Cabrera (.261, 14, 61 for Cleveland and Washington), who was arguably one of the core players of the Indians for the past several years. The Indians saw breakout seasons from LF Michael Brantley (.327, 20, 97, 94 RS, 200 H, 45 2B) and C Yan Gomes (.278, 21, 74). Carlos Santana (.241, 27, 85) became a full time 1B after playing a little bit of 3B at the start of the season. The Indians biggest strength coming into this season is their strong starting pitching. Odds are, it can get even better. Kluber had his breakout season, but so did Carrasco. House looked very good when he came up and Salazar is a good pitcher; but Bauer is the pitcher I would bet having the breakout 2015. The Indians signed RHP Gavin Floyd (2-2, 2.65, 9 starts for Braves) which adds to the depth. I'd go with the rotation of Kluber, Carrasco, Bauer, House and Salazar. Salazar should be in a battle with Floyd, who is trying to prove he is healthy after an elbow operation ended his 2014. On the comeback trail also is RHP Shaun Marcum (1-0, 2.08, 9 games, 2 starts in minors with Indians). He can be in the mix for a starting rotation spot or he may be able to win a job as a long reliever. The same can be said for veteran LHP Bruce Chen (2-4, 7.45, 13 games, 7 starts for Royals). The trade of Cabrera opened the door for 21 year old SS Jose Ramirez (.262, 2, 17 in 68 games), who will be the starting SS going into 2015. Ramirez has very good speed and has the ability to hit .280-.300 at the major league level. Though he has been rated as a decent defensive SS, the Indians have been reluctant to play him a lot there in the minor leagues. In fact, out of his 286 minor league games, 199 have been at 2B, where his defensive metrics seem to be a little better. In 2008, the Indians drafted a switch hitting SS with the 8th overall pick. This player has continued to develop during his 3 seasons in the minor leagues and has become one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Francisco Lindor is expected to take over at SS for the Indians as soon as the date clears for his Super Two status to be removed. Lindor has speed and is a superior defensive player. He also has some sneaky power from both sides of the plate, kind of like a young Jose Reyes. The Indians offense got a boost when they acquired Brandon Moss (.234, 25, 81) from the Athletics. Moss can play 1B or DH as well, but for the Indians will take over in RF, making David Murphy (.262, 8, 58) a 4th OF type. Michael Bourn (.257, 3, 27, just 10 SB) seems to be digressing as the Indians may be getting a little buyers remorse. However, Bourn only has two years remaining on his current 4 year, $48 million deal. Speaking of bad contracts, Nick Swisher (.208, 8, 42) is entering the 3rd year of his 4 year, $56 million deal he signed before Bourn was added. Jason Kipnis (.240, 6, 41, 22 SB after hitting .284, 17, 84 in 2013) saw his stock drop drastically last season. Because he battled some injuries all season, I see him as a candidate to have a bounce back 2015. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (.280, 13, 59) emerged as the team's everyday 3B and is expected to man the position again this season. This is the lineup I would go with if I was Indians manager Terry Francona- Ramirez SS, Kipnis 2B, Brantley LF, Santana 1B, Moss RF, Gomes C, Chisenhall 3B, Swisher DH, Bourn CF. Batting leadoff can allow for Ramirez to focus on catching the ball and getting on base and takes the pressure off of Swisher and Bourn, who are no longer focal points of the offense. Lets be honest, if they get anything out of the two of them, it will be a bonus. One thing that does stand out for the Indians is their flexibility. Brantley can play CF, Swisher 1B or the OF, Santana can catch, Moss 1B or DH and Mike Aviles can play 2B, SS, 3B or the OF. Murphy, Raburn and backup C Roberto Perez round out the bench. The Indians were led last season by relievers Cody Allen (6-4, 2.07, 24 saves) and Bryan Shaw (5-5, 2.55, 80 games). Veteran Scott Atchison (6-0, 2.75, 70 games) came out of nowhere to earn another season in Cleveland. LHP Mark Rzepczynski (0-3, 2.74, 73 games) is expected to once again be the team's primary lefty specialist. You should keep a good eye on 22 year old LHP Kyle Crockett. The 2013 4th round draft pick has pitched to a 0.56 ERA in 42 minor league games and made his debut in the major leagues by pitching to a 1.80 ERA in 43 games for the Indians in 2014. He misses bats which makes him a candidate to be more than a lefty on lefty pitcher. Allen pitched well last season, but Crockett looks to have an ability to get some late game attention. Also, look at the starting rotation candidates. If a Floyd or Marcum makes the rotation, perhaps Salazar or House get put into the 8th inning role- both have the stuff to be a closer as well. Outside of Lindor, the Indians have some good offensive prospects including two OFs two we will likely see this season. LH hitting OF Tyler Naquin looks like a natural as a hitter. He has the ability to be a batting champion and should see his high average in the minors translate to the bigs. Taken in the same first round of the 2012 draft (23rd as opposed to 15th) James Ramsey has good power and a solid eye at the plate. He was acquired from St Louis in the deal that made Masterson a Cardinal. Perhaps the Indians can find a way to get Jesus Aguilar into the lineup. He hit 19 HR in the minors in 2014 and got a September callup. Perhaps the flexibility of guys like Santana, Swisher and Moss can allow for Aguilar to get some p-t. The Indians have a pendulum that can swing from where I have them picked to much better than that. The competition in the AL Central is going to make it tough for the Indians to take those necessary steps. I love their starting pitching, but I think they need a lot out of some guys in the lineup that they may not get. Not even counting Swisher and Bourn, Chisenhall has to back up his solid 2014, which is not a given. Though I think Kipnis will be fine, the team has to wonder what was up with his 2014 season. While I like Allen and Crockett in the bullpen, I still do not consider this pen to be very deep. When I look at the Tigers, Royals and White Sox, I see more depth on the roster 1-25. However, I think this Cleveland starting rotation has a chance to be better than anything the other three can throw out there- and that includes Price/ Verlander and Sale/ Samardzijia. Vegas was a little down on the Indians as well, putting them at 83 1/2 for their O/U. I think they will finish just under that, 81-81, 4th place in the AL Central. However, like a lot of teams in this boat, I would not rule them out to make a run in this division. According to my numbers, I have just 4 games separating 4th place from 1st in this division.

The dominant MLB pitchers continue to be named Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander with most of the prime names still considered elite pitchers. While guys like CC Sabathia, Cole Hamels, David Price, RA Dickey, Matt Cain, Stephen Strasburg and others are not at their absolute best, they are still considered top pitchers or aces of their respective staffs. When 2013 comes to a close, it could be seen as a year of emerging new aces. Some pitchers have dominated to a point where teams now have a solid 1-2 punch while others have shown that maybe they are the top pitcher on their team. Either way, several pitchers deserve credit for the job they have done. If I am putting together an all star rotation, it would consist of a group of pitchers with a combined 1 All Star appearance in their MLB careers. When looking for future aces, Hiroki Kuroda will never get into the conversation. At age 38, it is safe to say Kuroda does not have a decade left to pitch. But he seems to be getting better with age. So far, he is 6-2, 1.99, 0.995 WHIP in 9 starts, giving the Yankees a dependable 1-2 punch with Sabathia. Kuroda is certainly one of the reasons the Yankees are competing at the level that they are right now. What more can one say about the job Matt Harvey has done? On a team that seems to be going nowhere this season, Harvey has been the best pitcher in the National League, going 5-0, 1.55 with 68 Ks in 68 1/3 IP to go along with a league leading 0.723 WHIP and 4.5 hits per 9 IP. On a staff that went with Jonathon Niese as their opening day starter, it is a no-brainer to say that Harvey is the Mets ace right now. After a couple of down seasons, Boston Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz is back at the top of his game. Perhaps manager John Farrell (Buccholz and Jon Lester's old pitching coach) returning to the team has impacted the young starters, as Buchholz is 6-0, 1.78 in 9 starts with 69 Ks in 65 2/3 IP. Lester has pitched well also, but to this point, Clay has pitched even better than he did during his All Star season of 2010. While Buchholz and Lester make a solid 1-2, the one now starts with Buchholz. The St Louis Cardinals lost Chris Carpenter for possibly the entire season making Adam Wainwright and his new contract the number one starter on the staff. That did not last long as the new Cardinals ace is Shelby Miller. Miller gave up a leadoff single in his start against the Colorado Rockies and retired the next 27 batters, finishing with 13 Ks. That was not an oversight. Miller is 5-2. .40 in 8 starts and has 57 Ks in 51 1/3 IP. His 266 ERA+ is tops in the NL and he also sports a WHIP of 0.877. Price won the AL Cy Young last season, but he may have a co-ace in Tampa Bay. In fact, if Price is traded this offseason, it is safe to say that Matt Moore is ready to be the number one pitcher for the Rays. Moore leads all of baseball with his 8(-0) wins, has a 2.09 ERA and a just over 1 WHIP to go with his average of nearly a strikeout an inning. Cleveland has over the last several seasons traded aces such as Sabathia and Cliff Lee and part of the reason manager Manny Acta got fired last year was the fact that there was nobody standing out in the Indians starting rotation. There was no pitcher that struck fear into the opposition, led by the total disaster that was Ubaldo Jimenez. Maybe the reuniting with former manager Terry Francona helped Justin Masterson become the force he has been this season. Masterson leads the AL with his 10 starts, 70 IP, 2 CGs and 2 shutouts. He is also 7-2, 2.83 with 71 Ks and a 1.129 WHIP. The Chicago Cubs probably considered a healthy Matt Garza as their ace coming into the season. They signed Edwin Jackson to a 4 year contract to be a 1 or 2. Jeff Samardzija seemed to have the upper hand on leading the staff. Though Samardzija has not pitched poorly, LHP Travis Wood has taken over the lead of a staff that needed a leader. Wood has pitched about as well as Mets fans were hoping Niese pitched. Wood is 4-2, 2.24 in his 9 starts, pitching 60 1/3 IP and a 0.928 WHIP. The Washington Nationals have the game's most hyped pitcher in Strasburg and the 3rd best pitcher in the NL in 2012 (in regards to Cy Young) votes Gio Gonzalez. While he is still considered a number 3, no Nationals pitcher has dominated as much as Jordan Zimmermann. After being somewhat held back in his first two full MLB seasons, Zimmermann has taken advantage of his opportunity to stay in games. With just 1 complete game coming into this season, Zimmermann has had 3 to this point, one of them a shutout. He is 7-2, 1.62 in his 9 starts and he has a WHIP of 0.87. The Arizona Diamondbacks had a deep rotation coming into this season, led by Ian Kennedy, Trevor Cahill, Brandon McCarthy and Wade Miley. Patrick Corbin, a left hander looked at as a pitcher who could improve over time, has been the D'Backs best pitcher. He is 6-0, 1.52 in his 8 starts, pitching to a 1.069 WHIP. The Mariners will allow no competition when it comes to the number one spot in their rotation as long as they have Hernandez. Of course, Hernandez is going nowhere soon, as he recently signed a lengthy extension. RHP Hisashi Iwakuma has looked as good as scouts said he could coming into this season. He proved himself as a viable starter in the second half of 2012, but he has taken it to another level this season. At 5-1, 1.84 in his 9 starts, his numbers are slightly better than King Felix. Felix is still the ace, but the Mariners may have a solid 1-2 punch, something they need to have a chance to compete in a tough AL West. So, picture the AL All Stars featuring Buchholz, Moore, Masterson, Iwakuma and Kuroda, with just Buchholz (2010) with an All Star appearance. The NL should feature Harvey, Miller, Wood, Zimmermann and Corbin, assuming they continue to pitch on this level. Two NL pitchers may establish themselves as their respective team's number ones before the season ends. Miami's Jose Fernandez is just 20, but he has made his impact on a struggling Marlins team. He is 2-2, 3.48 in his 8 starts and has 44 Ks in 44 IP and his WHIP is 1.159. San Diego's Andrew Cashner has gotten into a grove after an offseason injury nearly ruined his season. Cashner has the best stuff of any Padres starter and has shown it to this point going 3-2, 3.02 in 11 games, 6 starts. Both Fernandez and Cashner could become aces by the end of the season.

On to the teams I have in the playoffs for the 2013 season. Since we are now talking wild card, the last spot should come down to the last week of the season with teams like the Mariners, Rangers and Orioles being in it until the end. The Indians fill the bill of the team that had much more talent on it than it showed on the field. I thought the Indians were a little overrated coming into last season. Their pre-2012 over/ under was 86 1/2, I didn't think they were an 86/ 87 win team. However, I did not think they would be as bad as they were; this team seemed better than the 68-94 record they finished with. It ended with the firing of manager Manny Acta. Expecting a rebuild, the Indians had players such as Asdrubal Cabrera and Chris Perez on the trading block. Shin-Soo Choo was traded to the Reds for Drew Stubbs and Didi Gregorius, with Gregorius sent to Arizona for Trevor Bauer. Terry Francona was hired as manager, a little time went by and the front office did an about face. Nick Swisher was signed, they added Brett Myers and Mark Reynolds. They traded for Mike Aviles and took chances on Jason Giambi, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Scott Kazmir. They capped off their offseason by signing CF Michael Bourn, a sign the team is not rebuilding. While considering this team a contender, it is worth mentioning what did not work out last season. To just blame it on Acta is a little overboard, though he did not handle the adversity well last season. Ubaldo Jimenez (9-17, 5.40) was terrible last season and Justin Masterson (11-15, 4.93) was not that much better. Jimenez could be a lost cause, so the Indians are hoping he can regain close to the form he had in Colorado. Masterson was coming off a season where he pitched to a 3.21 ERA, something he has the ability to repeat. Brett Myers, signed to be a starting pitcher, had two bulldog like seasons for the last place Astros before taking over as closer last season. Carlos Carrasco, obtained in the Cliff Lee trade, returns after missing a year due to injury. Zack McAllister (6-8, 4.24) has a chance to be a very good pitcher. Kazmir has a good chance to make the team if he can beat out Carrasco, but Matsuzaka has a tough decision to make as he weighs the minors or a release. The Indians strength lies with its bullpen. Perez (0-4, 3.59, 39 saves) leads the crew. Joe Smith (7-4, 2.96 in 72 games) and Vinny Pestano (3-3, 2.57 in 70 games) team with former Red Sox RHP Matt Albers (3-1, 2.39 in 63 games) to give the team some depth. RHP Cody Allen has a chance to be a sleeper, one who can emerge from the group to be an 8th inning guy. LHP Tony Sipp went to Arizona in the deal that brought Albers to Cleveland (as well as Bauer and Stubbs), so the team will rely on LHP Nick Hagadone to get left hand hitters out. David Huff, who can start or relieve, can also take on that role. The offense intrigues me. They already had SS Cabrera (.270, 16, 66), 2B Jason Kipnis (.257, 14, 76) and C Carlos Santana (.252, 18, 76). Michael Brantley (.288, 6, 60) will move from CF to LF, with the rest of the lineup getting a facelift. Swisher (.294, 24, 93) easily replaces the offense they got from 1B Casey Kotchman last season (.229, 12, 55). Reynolds (.223, 23, 69) will strike out a lot, but could hit more HRs as the every DH. Bourn (.274, 9, 54, 10 3B, 42 SB) takes over as the CF and leadoff batter. Aviles (.250, 13, 60) takes over at 3B with Stubbs (.213, 13, 40 in 136 games) playing RF. The team inherited a lot of Ks with Stubbs and Reynolds, and even Bourn, but they should be able to hit a lot more HRs and produce many more runs. Lonnie Chisenhall will get some time at 3B; he may be the opening day starter. However, I'd go with Aviles. The Indians lineup should look like this: Bourn CF, Kipnis 2B, Santana C, Swisher 1B, Cabrera SS, Reynolds DH, Brantley LF, Stubbs RF, Aviles 3B. Yes, they will lead the AL in Ks, but they will also be near the top in run production. I talked about last year's over/ under being 86 1/2. Vegas was not so kind to them this season, putting their number at 77 1/2. I think they are better than that. However, they need to get something out of their starting pitching. I am thinking Masterson will bounce back and they should get something positive out of Myers. McAllister should have a big impact. If none of the preceding happen, my prediction of the Indians making the playoffs as a Wild Card team will go for naught. This is where Bauer comes in. He has ace type stuff and his presence will be a shot in the arm, lengthening the rotation. I see them finishing 85-77, 3rd place in the AL Central. Because of the parity of many teams finishing near the .500 level or better, 85 wins could spell a Wild Card berth in the AL this season.

It is becoming less of a surprise that Terry Francona will be taking over as manager of the Cleveland Indians. From his ties to the front office as well the fact he played for the Indians in 1988, the connection between Francona and the Indians has made him a logical candidate. Thrown in his experience as a two time World Series winning manager in Boston, Cleveland made a solid choice of who will lead the team for the future.

But on to the task at hand. Francona takes over a Cleveland team that seemed to be on the rise going into the 2012 season. Due to some roster moves that did not pan out, as well as some unexpectedly terrible starting pitching, the Indians turned out to be one of the worst teams in MLB. Perhaps its not a total rebuild operation, but one that may not happen overnight. So far the trade for Ubaldo Jimenez has blown up in their face. The Indians were getting an ace, not the 9-17, 5.40 pitcher they got last season. Though Justin Masterson was not as bad, he took some steps back finishing 11-15, 4.93. I had said before the season started, the Indians needed to add a power bat to play either CF or LF. They put a lot of stock in Grady Sizemore coming back and contributing, but he did not play all season. Johnny Damon, who could have serviced a team as a DH, was not the answer. For the majority of the season, the Indians performed like a second division team. Francona had eight straight winning seasons in Boston which included the two World Series Championships. He inherits an Indians team that is not as close to winning as Boston was. But, they are not completely rebuilding, and as I said before, had expectations coming into 2012. I still think they need to add that extra power bat. But will the financial constraints keep the Indians from ungrading? It doesn't help that few actually go to see games at Progressive Field. (They finished 13th only to Tampa Bay in attendance.) Perhaps they can go the trade route. Closer Chris Perez seems to want out, and can net the Indians a bat of some sorts. They have other pieces they can move as well as they look to become competitive again. In my opinion, this could work out two way; either the Indians can fall back to being a bad team for a couple of years, or the core can come together as it was expected this year and the team can win some games. I do think Francona is taking a risk (as most managers do when they take a job after winning in another location.) If the Indians go on a slide, his image as a MLB manager will take a hit. However, if he can somehow lead the Indians to their first AL Pennant since 1997, or possibly their first World Series Championship since 1948, he will become a legend in Cleveland and potentially become a Hall of Fame manager.

While I tried to evaluate whether the 2013 season would be better for the Boston Red Sox or Toronto Blue Jays, I felt it was not a question that could be answered without figuring out exactly what the Red Sox will do this offseason. The fact that they saved so much payroll in the deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers allows them the option, if they choose, to retool and put a top team together for next season. Today, I will discuss to more division rivals, the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians. One team (Minnesota) started its rebuilding process last year while the Indians are having an extremely disappointing season. It was a safe bet to believe in the Indians this season. Their starting pitching, in particular, has been an huge disappointment. Their top three starters, Justin Masterson (11-14, 4.93), Ubaldo Jimenez (9-16, 5.52) and Josh Tomlin (5-8, 6.36) were all much better in 2011. Masterson was 12-10, 3.21, Jimenez was 10-13, 4.68 and Tomlin was 12-7, 4.25. Add in Derek Lowe, who was acquired from Atlanta, and their starters did not get the job done in 2012. I also felt this team needed to add another power bat in their lineup. A lineup that has 2B Jason Kipnis, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, C Carlos Santana and RF Shin Soo Choo could have thrived by having one more power hitter hitting between them. Choo has had a down season, despite being healthy, and Grady Sizemore has missed the entire season after the Indians brought him back. Adding Johnny Damon after the start of the season did not work out. The Indians should look fairly similar next season and its interesting to see how much they look to upgrade their problem areas. Closer Chris Perez could be traded which may net them a decent return. In my opinion, this team has developed a young core and could thrive if they add the missing piece or two. They also have to determine if Manny Acta is the guy who will lead them to prominence. All in all, I think there is hope going into next season. The one thing the Twins have on their side is their manager. Ron Gardenhire is one of the better managers in the game. He faces his biggest challenge as he has the least amount of talent he has ever had to work with. Joe Mauer (.319, 9, 76) and Justin Mourneau (.279, 19, 75) have both bounced back from injuries to have good seasons. Josh Willingham (.258, 34, 105) and Ryan Doumit (.282, 16, 67) have given something to the middle of their order. Unfortunately, that is all they got. Denard Span has not gotten to the level that he has been expected to and there are as many holes in the Twins order as one would expect from a team that has been one of the worst in baseball over the past two seasons. Outside of Scott Diamond (11-7, 3.46), the Twins have gotten little help from their pitching staff. Cole De Vries (5-5, 4.11) was looking good until he was lost for the season. Unless the Twins add a top of the rotation starter for next season, it will be a crapshoot over how the rotation will be rounded out. There is little help on the way in the minors, either. This one is easy to determine: the Indians have better hopes going into 2013. The Twins are missing so much, particularly in their starting pitching, while their bullpen is average at best. The Indians have a very good pen. While Gardenhire would be a shoe-in for the AL Manager of the Year if he got the Twins over .500 next season, Acta (if he lasts after this season) will not have a job if the Indians don't get back to the level they were last season in 2013.

It is easy to complain about your favorite team's plan as a fan. You can suggest that the New York Mets need to operate at a higher payroll. The same could be said if you are a fan of the San Diego Padres or Houston Astros. You can also suggest that the teams don't add payroll; simply stay where they are at and let "prospects" (and I put quotations around prospects because fans think they fall out of the sky) develop. The bottom line is fans are entitled to their own view when it comes to what they think their favorite team's philosophy should be.

Players, on the other hand, are either told by their teams to say the right things, while in other cases players choose to bite their tongue with frustration about their team's philosophy. There are common sense reasons a player may not want to criticize the organization they work for. Few would want to cause that kind of tension and it never unifies a team. But, I think Chris Perez of the Cleveland Indians is right on with his comments about how the Indians have run their team this season. Perez was quoted as telling Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi: “Different owners. It comes down to that. They [the Tigers] are spending money. He [owner Mike Ilitch] wants to win. Even when the economy was down, he spent money. He’s got a team to show for it. You get what you pay for in baseball. Sometimes you don’t. But most of the time you do.” Perez was particularly critical for the team not adding free agent OF Josh Willingham this offseason, who has gone on to hit 33 HRs for the last place Minnesota Twins. The Indians do have a handful of young players. But they are not in a rebuilding phase. Over the past couple of years, many of their home grown players have established themselves in the big leagues. This was a team that could have thrown the knock out punch, and Willingham would have fit that perfectly. Instead, the Indians are playing out the stretch again and the job status of manager Manny Acta is in jeopardy. The frustrating part is that the Indians are not that far away. They were aggressive last season when they added Ubaldo Jimenez at the trading deadline, even though he has a very team friendly contract. They brought back Grady Sizemore, who has not played at all in 2012, and signed Casey Kotchman to play 1B. That and some struggles by the starting pitchers have resulted to the Indians being 20 games under .500. The low budget moves of taking Derek Lowe from the Braves and signing Johnny Damon showed some reluctance to add payroll. I think the Indians players have grown to a point where they deserve a little more re-enforcement. Hopefully it happens this offseason, if not, Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana, Justin Masterson and others should start to wonder if the organization ever plans to be a contender again.

Even the fair weather baseball fan has some interest in the July 31st trading deadline, especially since there seems to be more activity throughout the last 10/15 years. While there are some known names on the block this year, such as Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino and Juan Pierre of the Phillies, Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza of the Cubs and perhaps Cleveland's Shin-Soo Choo, Justin Masterson and Chris Perez. Some may be convinced that Cliff Lee may be traded, I would be incredibly surprised. However, RHP Joe Blanton could be matched up with a team that is looking for an innings eater. As the day goes on, we'll find out what players, if any, are being moved. July 31st has only been a landmark day since really 1989; prior to that, many deals were completed before that. The trading deadline was started by Kenesaw Landis after a late season 1922 trade brought Joe Dugan to the Yankees which allowed them to win the AL Pennant. The deadline was originally June 15th and it stayed that way from 1923-1985. It became July 31st for the 1986 season. The first major July 31st trade was when the New York Mets acquired LHP Frank Viola from the Minnesota Twins for five players, including RHP Rick Aguilera and Kevin Tapani. While the Mets were making a push to return to the postseason, it was the Twins who reaped the benefits of this trade, winning the World Series just two years later. Just five years ago, one of the more significant trades was made with time winding down. The Atlanta Braves added 1B Mark Teixeira from the Texas Rangers, giving up SS Elvis Andrus, LHP Matt Harrison, RHP Neftali Feliz and C Jarrod Saltalamacchia in a 5 for 1 trade. The Rangers owe part of the credit for their consecutive World Series appearances to that trade. In 1997, the Boston Red Sox acquired RHP Heathcliff Slocomb from the Mariners for C Jason Varitek and RHP Derrick Lowe. It is possible the Red Sox do not have their success for the next 10 + seasons without that trade, among other things. While the last trade gave the Red Sox two important pieces for their championship runs, it was the 2004 trade of star SS Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs; the four team deal that brought the Red Sox SS Orlando Cabrera and 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, that may have been the turning point of the Red Sox fortune. Several sluggers have been moved on July 31st. The Yankees acquired Cecil Fielder from the Tigers in 1996, and Greg Vaughn was moved from the Brewers to the Padres on the same day. Mark McGwire was moved from Oakland to St Louis exactly one year later. 2008 saw Ken Griffey, Jr move from the Reds to the White Sox and Manny Ramirez move from the Red Sox to the Dodgers. And for good measure, Seattle traded future HOF LHP Randy Johnson to the Astros for INF Carlos Guillen, RHP Freddy Garcia and LHP John Halama on July 31st of 1998. Another interesting trade was made in 1997, when the Chicago White Sox threw up the white flag when they traded LHP Wilson Alvarez, RHP Roberto Hernandez and RHP Danny Darwin to the San Francisco Giants for six players, including Bob Howry and Keith Foulke. This resulted in 3B and current White Sox manager Robin Ventura to say, "I didn't know the season ended August 1st!" Many teams have made minor tweaks on the last day before players have to clear waivers before they can be traded. This works until August 31, afterwards no player added can be part of a team's postseason roster. As the time runs down today, it will be interesting to see what deals, if any will be made today.